Jezebel Read Online Free PDF Page A

customary, unfortunately! She expected a kind of devotion that was justified by her beauty, of course, but as for her age … She refused to accept these things. She couldn’t admit that her lover’s passion had cooled, that he was still extremely fond of her, of course, but that it was perhaps time for her to be more indulgent, more tolerant … And since her own emotions were very intense, all these things influenced her personality and made her moody and irritable.’
    ‘Can you tell us about the night before the crime, the Christmas Eve dinner that was to end so tragically?’
    ‘My husband and I met Gladys and the Count at Ciro’s, where we all had dinner. We decided to go on to ChezFlorence to round off the evening. The rest of the night was uneventful. We drank champagne, danced and left in the early hours of the morning. That’s all.’
    ‘Did the accused seem nervous, anxious?’
    ‘She seemed excessively nervous and anxious that night, Your Honour. Every time Count Monti looked at another woman, oh, sometimes perfectly innocently, every time he made some banal compliment to the woman sitting next to him, the poor thing turned white and started trembling. It was pitiful, I can tell you. I would have liked to reassure her, but how could I? I remember I gave her a big hug, from the bottom of my heart when we said goodbye, and I hoped she could feel my sympathy. I’m happy that I gave in to that spontaneous show of affection, now that I can imagine what the poor woman has had to endure since then.’
    ‘Did you ever see Bernard Martin at the defendant’s home?’
    ‘Never, Your Honour.’
    ‘Did you ever hear his name spoken?’
    ‘Never.’
    ‘Have you knowledge of any other similar relationships, either directly from the accused woman herself or from a third party? I see you are hesitating. Do not forget that you are under oath.’
    ‘Really,’ said Jeannine Percier, nervously twisting her long gloves, ‘I don’t know what to say …’
    ‘Just tell the truth, Madame, that’s all. Would you prefer me to ask you questions? You stated that you were not surprised at the crime, that something was bound to happen, that Madame Eysenach was fated, sooner or later,to fall prey to some scoundrel or other. I am quoting your very own words.’
    ‘If that’s what I said in my statement, it’s because it is true.’
    ‘Would you please be more precise, Madame? You are here to enlighten the court.’
    ‘When I said that, I have to admit I was thinking about a … a house on the rue Balzac that the unfortunate woman had a weakness to visit often.’
    ‘Are you saying it was a bordello?’
    ‘Yes. I don’t think it’s right to hide from the court those meetings which, however strange and abnormal they are, might shed some light on the pathological side of the personality of my poor dear friend.’
    The Judge looked at Gladys Eysenach. ‘Is this true?’
    ‘Yes,’ she replied wearily.
    The Judge slowly raised his arms in their large, scarlet sleeves. ‘What sort of shameful pleasure were you seeking in such a place? You are still beautiful, in a relationship with a nobleman: whatever possessed you to sleep with strangers? You are even rich, so do not have the excuse that you needed the money, a situation that, sadly, is the undoing of many women. You have nothing to say?’
    ‘I can’t say it’s not true,’ the accused woman said softly.
    ‘Has the witness finished her testimony?’
    ‘Yes, Your Honour. May I be allowed to beg the jury for clemency on behalf of this unfortunate woman?’
    ‘That is the role of the defence, not yours,’ said the Judge, smiling almost imperceptibly. ‘You may step down, Madame.’
    She left the witness box and other witnesses came and went. They were not very important people: the concierge of the building where the accused lived, her chauffeur. They gave their testimony in an awkward, comical way, but all of them were clearly trying to do everything in